When someone says she's studying, what does she mean? I've often wondered. I have students who claim to study, but when I ask what they do to study, I receive vague responses:
"Oh, I reviewed my notes and looked over the handouts, the night before."
"I read all the chapters I was supposed to read over the past couple months."
"Well, I meant to study, but I sat in front of the t.v. with my book open."
So, what is studying? I mean, what should it look like? Real studying, the kind of studying that contributes to life-long learning and understanding is a habit, something that you develop over a period of time. Real studying is not the last minute cram you do before that big biology test on frog parts.
Real studying is:
*taking responsibility for yourself. In order to be successful, you will have to make some important decisions about your priorities and your time. Time is a finite resource.
*deciding what is a priority and acting accordingly. Do not let others or other interests compromise your values and your goals. Real friends will help you achieve your goals, not compromise them. Real friends agree with and support your values.
*discovering places and times in which you can be at your most productive. Most people figure out right away whether they are morning larks, night owls, or someone in between. Find spaces that are quiet and distraction-free. You may have to leave your house and go to the library for this.
*looking for ways to constantly challenge yourself and further your knowledge independently.
*taking good notes. Very few high school students arrive in college with good note-taking habits. Look at the College of DuPage's website for study skills and
note-taking tips. Take good notes now and you will have greater success in your classes.
*understanding the material. If you don't understand something, don't simply re-read the material. Look for new ways to comprehend it. Is there a video or lecture on-line that diagrams or explains the material in a different way? Is there a teacher you can consult for extra help? Is there a tutoring center? Can the teacher of the course spend some time with you before or after school to help you out?
*utilizing multiple ways of accessing the material. Don't just read. Use class discussions, group work, and even conversation as ways to comprehend material.
*keeping and organizing a central location for all notes, both in your notebook and on your computer, if you have one. It does no good to have pieces of paper all over the place or multiple notebooks with notes from a lecture here and there. Keep everything in one spot from the beginning. Be consistent.
*devoting a short time at the end of each week to review assignments and notes. Evaluate your progress. Keep a learning log even if your teacher does not require you to do so.
*reviewing and organizing your notes each day, especially for your more challenging classes. Devote thirty minutes each day to this, even and especially when you don't have homework. Research has shown that reviewing new material within 24 hours of hearing it increases your retention of that material by about 60%. This means that you will be 60% ahead of the game the next time you walk into class. If you want to significantly reduce the time necessary to prepare for exams, this is the way to do it.
*translating and transferring what you have learned into your own words and examples. Simply rewriting the teacher's definition does no good if you don't understand it. Paraphrase and rewrite examples. Make the material your own.
*marking what you do not understand in your notes and then seeking help from the teacher, a fellow student, the book, and/or a website.
*celebrating your new understandings and successes.
As a budding poet, you may ponder the question, to rhyme or not to rhyme. If you choose to rhyme in your poem, you don't have to stick with straight end-line rhymes. There are other options. Sometimes a poem's subject is too serious for the sing-song effect of a regular end-rhyme.
Simon Kewin advises us on the variety of rhymes available to the poet:
End Rhymes
Rhyming of the final words of lines in a poem. The following, for example, is from Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” :
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground
Internal Rhymes
Rhyming of two words within the same line of poetry. The following, for example, is from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” :
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
Slant Rhymes (sometimes called imperfect, partial, near, oblique, off, etc.)
Rhyme in which two words share just a vowel sound (assonance – e.g. “heart” and “star”) or in which they share just a consonant sound (consonance – e.g. “milk” and “walk”). Slant rhyme is a technique perhaps more in tune with the uncertainties of the modern age than strong rhyme. The following example is also from Seamus Heaney’s “Digging” :
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun
Rich Rhymes
Rhyme using two different words that happen to sound the same (i.e. homonyms) – for example “raise” and “raze”. The following example – a triple rich rhyme – is from Thomas Hood’s “A First Attempt in Rhyme” :
Partake the fire divine that burns,
In Milton, Pope, and Scottish Burns,
Who sang his native braes and burns.
Eye Rhymes
Rhyme on words that look the same but which are actually pronounced differently – for example “bough” and “rough”. The opening four lines of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, for example, go :
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Here, “temperate” and “date” look as though they rhyme, but few readers would pronounce “temperate” so that they did. Beware that pronunciations can drift over time and that rhymes can end up as eye rhymes when they were originally full (and vice versa).
Identical Rhymes
Simply using the same word twice. An example is in (some versions of) Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could not Stop for Death” :
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground—
The Roof was scarcely visible—
The Cornice—in the Ground—
It’s clear there is often a certain amount of overlap between rhyme and other poetical devices such as assonance – subjects to be covered in future poetry writing tips.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
8:12 PM
Journal-writing can be supplemented with photographs, drawings, or collages. Illustrating your journal entries is not only fun, it can heighten your descriptive and analytical skills and suggest narrative angles you might not otherwise have considered.
Try this: Create a collage journal entry consisting of text, drawings, or cutouts from magazines or newspapers. Give it a thematic focus - examples: "The Horrors of War," " Architectural Marvels," "Memories of My Trip to Italy," etc.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
2:57 PM
Definition:
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."
Words and Phrases
With the -ing form (gerund) of words:
Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.
With infinitive phrases:
Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.
OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)
Do not mix forms.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
Example 2
Not Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner.
Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.
Example 3
Not Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.
Clauses
A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
— or —
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Example 2
Not Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (passive)
Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.
Lists After a Colon
Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.
Parallel:
The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.
Proofreading Strategies to Try:
Skim your paper, pausing at the words "and" and "or." Check on each side of these words to see whether the items joined are parallel. If not, make them parallel.
If you have several items in a list, put them in a column to see if they are parallel.
Listen to the sound of the items in a list or the items being compared. Do you hear the same kinds of sounds? For example, is there a series of "-ing" words beginning each item? Or do your hear a rhythm being repeated? If something is breaking that rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it needs to be made parallel.
For responses to freewrites, quotations, and other random ramblings, go here.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
6:06 PM
Last week I was sent away from school to attend a professional development seminar (essentially "school for teachers"). One positive thing I walked away with was a short reflection that shares the title of this blog post. I've reposted my free-write reflection below.
The important thing about writing is the journey.
It's not a destination or a product the writer creates and casts aside. It's about a journey of self-discovery, of figuring out what you think and why. It's about learning the best way to express those discoveries to others. It's about sharing with others and taking them on a journey of discovery of their own. It's about launching others into their own voyage with an uncertain outcome. It's about creating the book you always wanted to read but could not find. It's about blind faith, leaping into pitch-black darkness and believing the net will appear to catch you before you plunge into the abyss.
The important thing about writing is the journey.
Objectives: This assignment allows students to reflect on what they are studying in high school and independently and why, what they hope to achieve in their high school and undergraduate academic careers, and what their intellectual influences are. Writing this assignment will help students understand and begin to develop a paradigm or perspective for their own learning.
Goals: By the end of this assignment, students should be able to (1) articulate a their own intellectual agenda; (2) identify the intellectual tradition with which they identify; (3) begin situating their own intellectual agenda with their chosen program of study.
Directions: Write a paper in which you describe what influenced your decision to come to study your chosen subject, why you are here, who your intellectual precursors were, etc. As you reflect on what to write, be sure that you consider your favorite authors, scholars, teachers, or classes. Also consider what things you want to study, why you want to study them, what you hope to learn about your area of interest. Lastly, consider what contribution you want to make with your own research to our knowledge and understanding of communication. NOTE: This is not an autobiography; it is an intellectual autobiography. I am not interested in formative experiences of your life as much as I am interested in the formative influences for attending school and focusing on your area of interest.
Grading Criteria:
1. Thoughtfulness and insightfulness of writing.
2. Coherence of essay–ability to organize ideas and create an argument.
3. Writing mechanics.
Posted by
Ms. Bailey
9:34 AM
An independent software developer has created a program for writers that stores your information on Google's servers. It also allows you to email a copy to yourself and download your text to your computer's hard drive or your USB drive. I'm trying the program out myself since I am concerned about having a backup of all my work. It also does a word count and keeps your writing environment uncluttered so you can focus on your writing. Click here for screenshots and information.
“The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” – Archilochus
I admit that in this famous philosophical debate, I always wanted to be a hedgehog, but deep inside I have always known that I am a fox instead. My interests are many, ranging from Native American sovereignty issues to migratory habits of birds to theories of creativity and identity. My intellectual development reflects those varied interests; the journey to Northeastern Illinois University’s graduate program in English has not been quick or direct for me.
Looking back at high school, I see a student conflicted between selecting a science-oriented path and choosing among the liberal arts. I did not understand why we had to select our destinies at the same age we discovered the opposite sex, encountered family distress, and started learning about various academic options. Nonetheless, I followed the traditional path and allowed the system to mandate a specialized path. I chose English because I knew of writers like Vladimir Nabokov who maintained a lively scientific interest in butterflies, Margaret Atwood who demonstrated great emotional depth and understanding and also knowledge of Canadian flora and fauna, and Diane Ackerman whose books lyrically explained scientific processes and patterns. If these writers could exist in both the scientific and the literary worlds, then I knew it was possible for me to do so as well. I maintained my enthusiasm for and interest in science, but I found as I gained more exposure to writers and their works, I was drawn more towards the well-crafted turn of phrase rather than a particular scientific discipline.
Because of my developing interest in writing and literature, I decided to study English as a formal discipline. I attended Roosevelt University and gained exposure to writers of both the established and alternative canons. I found myself particularly drawn to works in which the protagonist struggles to find spiritual meaning in an otherwise broken world, often forging a separate and new identity apart from the identity created by family, friends, and society. Margaret Atwood’s novel Surfacing resonated with me as it called into question the genesis and nature of human memory and reminiscences. I explored and intensively studied Atwood’s works, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. I also discovered Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook, a chronicle of mental and societal breakdown and one woman’s therapeutic journey back from the madness. The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles followed a similar path through moral nihilism and traced a character’s entrance into full consciousness in a fragmented modern society. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar lead me to discover Plath’s poetry and her journals, and her confessional mode of writing inspired me to openly chronicle my most personal experiences. Under the Volcano taught me how prose can mimic and convey particular states of mind such as the narrator’s nearly constant intoxication. I also made an important discovery after reading N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn which was my initiation into the entire genre of American Indian writing, and in and of itself represented a work that successfully integrated poetry and prose while providing universal insights.
In fact, it was N. Scott Momaday’s book that proved to be the beginning of my undergraduate research into American Indian cultures and writings. My interest in writing and activism sent me across the country to various reservations in search of local stories, storytellers, and direct contact with traditions and conditions that informed these native peoples’ works. I spent a considerable amount of time on both the Navajo and Pojoaque reservations, staying with host families and experiencing different family and tribal cultures first-hand. In addition to my research, this time on the reservations inspired a number of poems.
However, the single most important decision of my life turned out to be my enrollment in a poetry workshop at The Newberry Library in Chicago, taught by poet Mark Perlberg. Mark, co-founder and then director-emeritus of The Poetry Center of Chicago and accomplished poet somehow decided my work demonstrated promise, and he invited me to join his poetry group that met every other Thursday at members’ houses. It was here that I was to become a pupil of Mark’s and learn to hone my craft and develop the discipline to be a successful poet. Because of Mark, I continue to write poetry, and I make it a priority. Although Mark is no longer alive, his gentle wisdom and insight is still with me today, and if I ever succeed in publishing my poetry book, it will be because of Mark’s tutelage.
Concurrently with my poetry studies, post-graduation I attended Roosevelt University again to earn an M.A. in teaching with the goal of teaching in an underprivileged school in Chicago. This represented a departure from my law school and academia aspirations. I immersed myself in child development and best practice research. Once I earned the teacher certification and M.A. degree, I found a teaching job at Schurz High School working with freshman- and junior-year students. My worldview and outlook underwent a fundamental shift as a result of my six years of teaching these wonderful students. While I have always been an activist, my focus narrowed to social justice, specifically economic and education issues. I was still writing and reading, but with all the responsibilities of being a teacher, I had to reduce the amount of time I devoted to those pursuits.
Finally, I decided I needed to return to graduate school to enter a literature program. While I love my job, I felt that I was neglecting certain aspects of my intellect. I also felt that I needed to continue to grow as a reader in order to continue my development as a writer. I entered Northeastern Illinois University’s program in Spring 2009. Most of my classes thus far have been poetry classes; in fact, this is the first semester I have not been enrolled in a poetry writing or analysis class. As a result of this semester, I realize that I need to enroll in as many poetry courses as possible or switch programs and schools altogether to work on an M.F.A. in poetry.
While I may wish to be Archilochus’ hedgehog and I understand the need for specialization in academia and in the economy in general, my interests are so varied that I never cease to find the world intellectually challenging and stimulating. I connect to different people in a variety of ways because of my wide-ranging interests. While I respect the hedgehog mentality and sometimes even wish that I possessed that type of mind, the fact remains that I am actually a fox, running through forest, constantly seeking, finding, and seeking again.
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